


look on the bright side

by oops_I_lost_my_marbles



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Fluff, I just realized how terrible I am at tagging this, I wrote this based on a dream I had, IDENTITY SHENANIGANS, Identity Reveal, Oneshot, POV Female Character, POV Third Person, Slightly Aged up, Some angst, Soulmates, hawkmoth is also an idiot, hawkmoth meets his impending doom, naturally I wrote it at 4 am, stupid akuma, this is my first-and-a-half fanfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23513056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oops_I_lost_my_marbles/pseuds/oops_I_lost_my_marbles
Summary: Marinette and Adrien both woke up with a bad feeling. Everything goes downhill from there: a forgotten permission slip, an anxiety attack, a ruined field trip, an akuma who matches up soulmates, and the stupid paparazzi(of course). The only good thing that might've gone right about their day is sharing a kiss with their soulmate...if only they could remember who that was.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois/Sabrina Raincomprix, Ivan Bruel/Mylène Haprèle, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Lê Chiến Kim/Ondine, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Comments: 32
Kudos: 226





	look on the bright side

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Please read this before starting the story. I have a few things I want to say.
> 
> Some of you might remember my first fanfic that I posted on here. You might notice how it is no longer here. I decided to delete it for further editing until I can finish it and post it all at once. I just... kept forgetting to update and felt pressured to make each chapter better. I decided to make the choice to delete it. Honestly, this lifted a giant weight off my shoulders. 
> 
> Anyway, I'm not sure how to feel about this fanfic. I hope you enjoy it! It's a one-shot, and I will not be adding any more chapters. It's simply a short story.
> 
> Please, please, please leave reviews. One of the reasons I deleted my last story was because I felt like people didn't like it. I want to know if you have any advice or critiques. It's very important to me.
> 
> Anyway, I'll stop talking. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Marinette knew it wouldn’t be a normal day. She absolutely, positively knew it. 

First of all, she actually woke up when her first alarm went off. Which was not a good sign. Then, she accidentally put her pants on backward. 

As lucky as she was as Ladybug, Marinette sure didn't get any extra as herself. She brushed it off; today was going to be _fine._ She went downstairs to eat breakfast at a reasonable time, earning a few surprised looks from her parents. 

“Honey, is this a miracle I'm seeing?” Tom said to Sabine. He rubbed at his eyes as if trying to believe what he saw.

Sabine shook her head. “I don't know, but I see it too.”

Marinette simply rolled her eyes. “Morning, mama. Morning, papa.”

“What special occasion has you getting up this early?” Sabine asked.

“Can't I just get up on time for once without anyone questioning it?” Giggled Marinette.

Tom and Sabine laughed, gave Marinette a fresh pastry, then hugged her and sent her off to school. 

* * *

Marinette felt off as she crossed the street. Something was wrong and she knew it. When she looked around, there were no signs of an akuma, but something had her on edge. She just couldn't put her finger on it…

When she got to school, no one she recognized was on the front steps because it was too early. Instead, she went inside to sit on one of the benches and work on one of her sketches. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. 

“What the HELL?” Shouted a loud voice that echoed throughout the mostly empty school and scared poor Marinette off of the bench. When she looked up, she rolled her eyes.

“Hi, Alya.” She stated while getting back onto the bench. “How are you today?”

“How am I doing today? More like, how are you doing today?” Alya eyed her suspiciously. “This is the first day you've been early to school in all of the years I've known you.”

“I'm fine. I just woke up early today.” Marinette yawned. “I'm still tired though…”

Alya sat next to her. “Alright, I'm going to pretend I believe you. Are you ready for the field trip?”

“Wait,” Marinette gasped, “What field trip?”

“The marine biology one that Ms. Bustier has been telling us about all year.”

“Crap! I forgot my permission slip at home.”

Alya laughed as the girl sprinted out the door.

* * *

Marinette added that to her list of things that had gone wrong. She couldn't believe she forgot it at home. She even had her parents sign it the night before.

Wrapped up in her thoughts, she barely registered as another person got in her path. She slowed, but not before crashing into them.

Marinette began to apologize. “I'm so sorry! I'm such a klutz and I-”

She blinked. Once. Twice.

“Sorry, Adrien.”

He laughed, a sound that deepened out with age. His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Honestly, Marinette, can you go one day without _falling_ for me?”

She blanched but got to her feet. “Sorry, I forgot my permission slip at home and I was rushing to get it… so I crashed right into you.”

“Well, you're fine. I was in your way.” He smiled, then winked. “Next time, give me a warning so I can try to catch you.”

Something about his smile seemed different, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. She managed to smile in return, then started running again. She managed to make it home without bumping into anyone else or thinking about her stupid childish crush.

Yeah, she definitely didn't think about that…

* * *

Marinette got back to school right on time which Alya laughed about. However, that was quickly forgotten because of the field trip. Everyone was really excited. 

“I heard we get to go snorkeling!” Rose whispered.

“I heard we'd be on a yacht having a party all day,” Alix said with a smile.

Kim shouted, “Who cares what we'll be doing, we're still missing a whole day of school!”

Everyone laughed and agreed on that.

“Alright, class. Settle down.” Ms. Bustier walked into the room and the students all went to their seats. “I know you're all very excited, but we have a few things we need to take care of first.” She began calling roll, collecting each student’s permission slip as their name was called.

Alya nudged Marinette. “Girl, I heard about what happened with Adrien this morning!”

Marinette shushed the other girl and began to whisper. “Heard about what? Nothing happened.”

“So you definitely didn't fall into his arms? And he definitely didn't say you were ‘falling for’ him?” 

Marinette shot her a glare and busied herself with her sketch. However, Alya continued to stare at her. “What?” Marinette sighed. “Look, I'm over it. I'm over… _him_. Stop pushing me.”

“Girl, you and I both know that isn't true. You finally stopped with the stuttering! It's a sign.”

“Yeah, a sign that he isn't interested in me…”

* * *

“...and I was DJing there just last weekend! I just missed that crazy akuma.” Nino attempted to make small talk with Adrien before class started, but he seemed lost in his thoughts. He wasn't responding except for a few nods or sighs. “Dude, are you okay? You seem super out of it.”

Adrien sighed. “Yeah, I guess I'm just really tired today. I didn't sleep well. I have this bad feeling… like I forgot something or something bad is about to happen.”

Nino patted his shoulder. “Well, cheer up, Dude! Today's the field trip. It's going to be fun and relaxing and nothing is going to go wrong.”

“Yeah, sure…”

It was at that moment when Marinette ran into the room, not quite late. Everyone began discussing the field trip, and Adrien’s bad feeling multiplied. He began feeling nauseous and Nino looked at him with concern. “Dude, are you sure you're okay? You look sick.”

“Gee, thanks Nino.” Adrien grit his teeth together. “I'll be fine.”

Ms. Bustier walked in, calming the class and taking attendance. Adrien was still trying to shake off his nerves. That morning had been fine, nothing out of the ordinary. Except Marinette falling… well, even that was ordinary. He supposed he might've been too _Chat Noir_ -ish while talking to her, but he was on edge and forgot who he was for a second.

At least she wasn't as spooked as she used to get. When he first met her, she was extremely shy and couldn't talk to him without stuttering. He still didn't know why but stopped wondering about it after she began to talk to him without the stutters. 

Nino had to tap his arm twice to draw Adrien out of his thoughts enough to say “present” for roll. 

Adrien flew right back into his thoughts after that, earning a concerned and somewhat confused glance from Nino. However, he perked up again when he heard his name behind him. Without turning, he tried to listen in on what Alya and Marinette were saying. However, they began to whisper so quietly that he couldn't hear. 

Adrien was whisked from his thoughts again when Ms. Bustier announced that it was time to get on the bus. Everyone cheered, and Nino dragged Adrien from his seat into the hallway. “Dude, should you be going on this trip? Did something happen at home?”

Adrien plastered a small smile on his face. “Nino, I appreciate it, but I'll be okay. I just need to wake up a bit.”

Nino relaxed but still looked concerned. “Okay, that's good enough for me. However, your fake model smile doesn't fool me anymore.”

Adrien was relieved when they finally got on the bus.

* * *

Marinette began to worry as she got on the bus. Something was about to happen; she was sure of it. “Hey Alya, could you check the akuma alert? Is anybody talking about an attack?”

Alya pulled out her phone. “Sure, girl. What’s up?”

“I just… have a bad feeling about today. I wanted to check.”

After a minute, Alya shook her head. “There’s nothing. Everything will be fine! Don’t worry, Ladybug and Chat Noir will always be there if anything happens.”

“Right.” Marinette sighed. “How could I forget about them?”

Nino leaned over from his seat in behind theirs. “What are you dudettes talking about?”

Before Marinette could say anything, Alya stepped in. “Marinette is feeling anxious about the trip and I was telling her not to worry about it.”

“Adrien has been the same way!” Nino gestured to Adrien, who perked up after hearing his name. “He’s been out of it all morning and he wasn’t feeling well earlier.”

Adrien made eye contact with Marinette. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she replied, voice cracking. She cleared her throat then continued, “I just have a bad feeling but I don’t know how to explain it.”

“I’ve been the same way.” 

Alya joked, “Well, you two better shape up because this field trip is going to be fun and you should enjoy it.”

* * *

_Elsewhere in the city…_

“This is ridiculous! I’m 32. Everyone around me is already married and I don’t even have a date. How am I supposed to-”

“Hello, Soulmater. I’m Hawkmoth and I’ll give you the power to help you and others find your perfect match as long as you bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous. Deal?”

“Deal.”

* * *

“Welcome aboard, everybody!” The ship captain stood in front of everyone while they boarded the ship. “My name is Mr. Rufus, and we’re going to have a fun day today! There’s lots of wildlife out and about, we just have to find it. Everyone can drop their stuff off below decks…”

Alya checked her phone one more time and showed Marinette the screen. “Look, no akumas. Now relax and have some fun!”

Marinette nodded. “You’re right. Everything is going to be fine.

They set their stuff down and raced back up to the deck. The captain was just wrapping up the tour. “...and here’s the bathrooms. We don’t have any downstairs.”

Neither Marinette nor Alya noticed when Alya’s phone pinged with a new notification.

* * *

Adrien was trying his hardest to have a good time. He could tell that Nino wanted him to, but he didn’t want Nino to worry about him. They were currently about to go snorkeling to look for some marine organisms, but his mind was elsewhere, constantly worrying. Adrien jumped two feet into the air when Nino tried to hand him his wetsuit.

“Dude, I’m starting to think that you shouldn’t have came to this field trip.”

“I’ll be fine.” Adrien gritted his teeth together and grabbed his wetsuit. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, bro.”

They sat in silence while putting on their wetsuits. Adrien tried to listen to some of the other conversations happening around him. 

“I can swim faster than you _and_ find more animals!” Alix challenged.

Kim snorted. “Bet.”

“Actually-” Max pushed his glasses up- “not all of them are animals, some are prokaryotes-”

Adrien looked over at Alya and Marinette, watching as the latter turned bright red after the former whispered something in her ear. 

Suddenly, purple lasers shot across the sky. Everyone screamed and scattered on the deck. Ms. Bustier began herding the kids below deck, stressing for everyone to remain calm. 

Adrien knew it was an akuma, and his nerves intensified. He had a bad feeling about what was going to happen. He knew he had to get away, but he wasn’t sure how. Silently, he wormed his way through his panicked classmates and ducked behind a tote of some sort. “Plagg,” He whispered. “Where are you?” He didn’t get a response, which made him even more anxious. 

“Adrien?” Nino called. “Bro, we have to go below deck. There’s an akuma.”

Adrien let his friend lead him down the stairs, wondering how he was going to be able to escape.

* * *

As soon as she saw the purple lights, Marinette began calculating ways to get away. She had to transform, and she _knew_ this akuma was going to be the bane of her existence. It wasn’t even halfway through the day and she was already waiting for it to be over.

“Ms. Bustier?” Marinette made her way over to the frazzled teacher. “I know it’s an emergency, but I really have to use the bathroom. Is there any way I could-”

“Not now, Marinette,” Ms. Bustier interrupted. “I’m sorry, but the safety of my students is my top priority, so you’ll have to wait.”

“But-”

“Go downstairs, Marinette. Now, Please.”

Marinette gave up. She’d have to find some other way out. She was one of the last students to get downstairs. She turned to bring Ms. Bustier into the cramped room, but a purple light struck her down. Everyone gasped, and Marinette fumbled to slam the door shut.

“Marinette!” Rose squealed. “That light almost hit you!”

Marinette closed her eyes, not allowing herself to panic. “I know.” She took a second to gather her thoughts. “Look everyone, it’s going to be alright. We might be on our own, but we can still protect ourselves. We need to be extra careful because we haven’t seen the effects of the akuma yet. Everyone, do what you can to board up the windows to block the light from getting in and move stuff in front of the door. Grab whatever you can to defend yourselves. We’ll be fine.”

“You go, Class Rep!” Nino shouted.

“Yeah, and don’t worry!” Alya added. “Ladybug and Chat Noir will be here to save us in no time.”

Either no one noticed, or no one chose to comment on the fact that both Adrien and Marinette paled at the same time. Instead, they quickly did exactly what Marinette instructed, boarding up the windows and the door. 

“Wait,” Adrien stated, “I have to go to the bathroom before you block off the door.”

“Adrikins, that’s not super safe right now.” Chloe, reluctant to help, tugged on Adrien’s arm. Marinette couldn’t help but notice how annoyed Adrien looked with her.

“I can go check-” Marinette started.

Chloe scoffed. “As if I’d trust you with my precious Adrikins, Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette was mad and running out of ideas. She needed to get out of there. She had no clue what was happening in the outside world and Ladybug was needed.

“Chloe, shut up,” Alya said confidently, crossing her arms. “Why don’t you help for once?”

Chloe began forming a snotty response, but her mouth formed an ‘o’ and she reached out to Alya. Marinette recognized too late what was happening. “Alya!”

Nobody could do anything as a purple ray of light snuck in through a gap and hit Alya in the shoulder. She fell over and Marinette rushed to her, Nino in tow. Marinette watched in horrid fascination as Nino, too, fell to the floor. 

Everyone was silent as nothing happened for a few moments. No one knew what to expect, or what happened to them. Ivan reached over to cover the gap in the window, whispering, “I’m so sorry; I think that was my fault…”

Everyone was still silent when Alya and Nino sat up, their eyes blank. Then, all at once, Alya leaned over to Nino, grabbed his face, and began kissing him like her life depended on it.

A cacophony of voices yelled out, most explicit, such as “What the-” and “Holy s-”. Others just gasped or screamed. Marinette felt the blood drain from her face. She _needed_ to get out of there. People could be getting seriously hurt or worse. She needed to protect them. She had a duty. She had to get out, she had to escape… 

Marinette began to feel too hot. Her brain was overloading and she found it hard to breathe. She collapsed to the ground, mumbling incoherent words. 

This was all too much for one teenage girl to handle.

* * *

Adrien saw Marinette shut down. When she collapsed, he got to her side and talked to her. Everyone else seemed too stunned. Some turned away, others hurriedly rustled around, looking for a phone or a weapon. 

“Marinette, can you hear me? Marinette, it’s me, Adrien.” He tried to listen to what she was mumbling. “What’s wrong? Can you talk to me?” No response. “Marinette, I think you’re having an attack. I’m going to try to help you, okay?” She jerked her head a bit, which he took as a nod. “Okay, good. I’m going to count to three, and I want you to breathe in for me.” He did so, and she tried to inhale. “Now breathe out.” _One, two, three…_ “Good, again.” He continued until her pulse had slowed down a bit and she wasn’t breathing as hard. “Would you like me to hold your hand?” She nodded, much more noticeable this time. “Do you want to get some fresh air?” She nodded again. Adrien asked Kim and Ivan to help get her out the door, claiming it was something urgent that couldn’t wait. They complied, but warily.

“Are you sure it’ll be safe?” Ivan wondered.

Adrien stared him down. “It doesn’t matter.”

Once Adrien got her above deck, he found a small nook for them to sit in, avoiding looking around. He didn’t need to see all of the destruction that the akuma caused. Marinette needed to be taken care of first.

“Now, I want you to name five things you can see. You can start whenever you’re ready.” She took a few more breaths, then listed off some things. “Okay, now four things you can feel.” _Your hand, the deck, the fabric of my shirt, my toes wiggling._ “Three things you can hear.” He paused while she listed them. “Two things you smell.” She giggled at that one, listing Kim’s cologne. “One good thing about yourself.”

At that, she paused. “I… I am…” She stared at Adrien. “I can’t… not right now.”

He seemed to understand, helping her to her feet. “That’s okay. Do you want to go into the bathroom? It will probably be safer.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll wait outside.” 

He stood for a few minutes, wondering how he could help more. Adrien was so concerned about Marinette that he failed to notice the purple light before it hit him.

* * *

Marinette wanted to scream. She needed to calm down; she needed to be level-headed. She needed to be able to transform and go save Paris.

“Marinette.” Tikki flew out of nowhere. “It’s okay. It’ll be okay.”

Marinette started to cry, sobbing so hard she couldn’t breathe.

“Marinette!” Tikki flew over to her, rubbing her shoulder. “Shh, you’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. Work through this.”

“That’s the thing, Tikki,” she hiccuped, “How do I know that? How do I know that it will be okay? I’m in charge of that. What if I can’t fix everything in the end? How many people would be hurt?”

“Oh, Marinette.” Tikki sighed. “You have too much on your plate. I was afraid of this happening. You’re such an extraordinary girl, so kind and loving. Nobody else could do a better job at being Ladybug than you. No one can replace you. And you’re human! You can’t be perfect. If you make mistakes, people will understand. We would work through it together. It’s okay.”

Marinette managed to calm down a bit more. “Thank you, Tikki. I don’t deserve you.”

“Anytime.” Tikki smiled. “And I think you owe Adrien a big ‘thank you’ too. He managed to get you through an anxiety attack, which I was powerless against.”

Marinette’s eyes lit up. “Right! Adrien! The akuma!” She blew her nose and wiped her eyes. “Ok, Tikki! Spots on.”

As soon as she was transformed, she blacked out.

* * *

“No, you idiot!” Hawkmoth roared. “I specifically told you _not_ to hit Adrien Agreste.”

Soulmater laughed. “Oops, my bad. I forgot. Silly me!”

“Fix it! Do something about it!”

“Yes. sir!” Soulmater waved her wand and a green light flew out. “There ya go.”

Hawkmoth shook his head. “Ladybug and Chat Noir better get here quickly.”

* * *

Adrien panicked. When he woke up, all he could see was a blast of green, then black and red spots. _Ladybug._ Was she here to save them? Him and Marinette? That snapped him out of his daze. Where was Marinette? Was she safe? Why did he leave her?

Suddenly, the events of the day flew back to him. _Uneasy feeling, field trip, akuma, Alya and Nino, Marinette’s attack…_ He became aware of his actions and what he was doing. 

Ladybug was underneath him. He was so close to her that he could feel her body heat. He was kissing her, which would’ve been a dream under normal circumstances. However, he knew something was wrong. Her eyes were ringed with red and swollen. She had been crying. He had to stop. Something was wrong. As much as he tried, he couldn’t manage to pull himself away.

Even when pink sparkles appeared, promptly detransforming Ladybug.

* * *

Soulmater scanned Paris. “I think we got the whole city, sir. They’re all too busy smooching their soulmates to realize anything else.”

“Where are Ladybug and Chat Noir? Did you see any sign of them?”

“No,” Soulmater giggled. “But I might have caught them in their civilian forms and they might be too busy to transform…”

Hawkmoth was growing very impatient. “This is pointless. They aren’t going to show up. Soulmater, I dismiss you.”

* * *

Marinette woke up feeling disoriented and confused. When she regained her bearings, she realized she was alone on the deck of the boat. She noticed that her hair was a mess, so she went into the bathroom to fix it. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she realized how swollen and red her lips were. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. Speaking to herself, she muttered, “What happened to me?”

She recalled what had happened during the field trip. There was an akuma attack and Adrien… Adrien! Where was he? What happened to him? She had been in the bathroom, Tikki was there, she transformed, and then… Nothing.

What had happened during that damn akuma attack and why couldn’t she remember it? Why did she detransform? She stepped out of the bathroom and looked around. Not much could be seen from the boat. “Tikki,” Marinette whispered. “Where are you?”

“I’m here, Marinette,” Tikki called. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I was just about to ask you the same thing.” Marinette shook her head. “I don’t remember anything from the attack. Did I use my lucky charm? Did I purify the akuma?”

Tikki paused. “Well, I can’t seem to remember either. But I know that you didn’t use your lucky charm, because I would be a whole lot more tired if you did. As for the akuma, I’m not sure.”

“Alright, let’s clean this up, then.” Marinette quickly transformed, called her lucky charm, and threw it back into the air. The ladybugs swept through the air, and Marinette exhaled. 

It was time to go find her friends.

* * *

He had been so tempted to open his eyes. The thought that Ladybug, the girl of his dreams, was kissing him as her civilian self…

He fought the urge to sneak a peek. Every time he felt tempted, he reminded himself that something was wrong. The image of her red-ringed, swollen eyes was the only thing he could think of. He had to stop this.

But a part of him didn’t want to.

He was still having that internal battle when Ladybug pulled away. Adrien hurriedly got to his feet, breathing hard. He didn’t stop to wonder why she had pulled away. He took off towards the stairs, not looking behind him.

He pounded on the door, yelling for his classmates to let him in. Juleka looked through a window, dazed. Her eyes cleared a bit when she saw Adrien, and she signaled to the others. In no time, the door was open and people ushered him inside.

“What’s happening out there, Adrien?” Alya asked. 

“So the effects wore off?” He asked, speaking his mind. Everyone looked confused. “And to be honest, I have no idea what’s going on. I just woke up on the deck and came down here.”

Alya pulled out her phone. “Let me check the news.” She scrolled for a second, then announced, “Nobody’s sure. Everyone is pretty dazed and they don’t remember what happened. No one saw Ladybug or Chat Noir, and no one knows what happened to the akuma.”

Adrien tried his hardest not to jump at the mention of Ladybug.

“Who, exactly, was the akuma?” Sabrina asked timidly.

“Let me see…” Alya scrolled some more. “Looks like it was a middle-aged woman? She called herself ‘Soulmater’ and she… well, uh… it says something here about her matching up people with their soulmates. And… a lot of people woke up in various states, many people with someone they didn’t know. It looks like she was a matchmaker of some sort. No one knows what happened to her or who she was.”

Everyone paused to let that sink in. Finally, Mylene said, “Well, Ladybug must’ve saved us or else the akuma would still be mind-controlling us or whatever.”

“Yeah.” Alya stared at Nino. “I just wish I could remember what happened…” 

Alix stared at the two of them. “Yeah, well, the rest of us remember what happened. You two were making out like there was no tomorrow. Poor Marinette looked like she was getting PTSD.” She scoffed. “Anyway, you must’ve passed whatever you two had to most of us because everyone started acting like love-sick idiots.”

Adrien pondered her words, then was struck with a startling realization: “Hey, where’s Marinette?” 

Adrien was horrified he didn’t realize she was missing sooner.

* * *

Marinette heard someone shouting, and she followed the noise.

“What do you mean ‘ _where’s Marinette?_ ’” That was definitely Alya. “You mean to tell me that you lost my best friend?”

Marinette figured she should step in to prevent Alya from getting any madder. She stepped down the stairs and opened the door. “Alya, I’m here. Stop freaking out.”

Alya rushed and gave her a big hug. “Girl, I thought I lost you. What happened up there?”

Marinette shrugged. “I’m not sure. Adrien was helping me calm down, and I went into the bathroom… and then I woke up in the bathroom. I think I fainted. What happened to the akuma?”

“Nobody knows, dude,” Nino said.

Alya pulled out her phone. “Let me check again…” 

Adrien looked at Marinette, a strange look in his eyes that she couldn’t place. “Was there anyone else up there?”

Marinette frowned. “No, I don’t think so. At least, I didn’t see anyone when I woke up. I’m not sure where the teachers went.” Adrien looked somewhat relieved.

“Here we go! Someone managed to get live footage of the attack,” Alya said excitedly. Everyone crowded around her. She pressed play on the video. 

A woman was standing on a rooftop, obviously the akuma. Her hair was bright pink, and she looked like a character from Candyland. She looked around, somehow missing the person taping her. “I think we got the whole city, sir. They’re all too busy smooching their soulmates to realize anything else.” Hawkmoth’s mask appeared on her face. He was clearly talking to her. She giggled, then responded, “No, but I think I might have caught them in their civilian forms and they might be too busy to transform.”

Alya murmured, “She’s talking about Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

Then, the akuma popped out of her wand, detransforming her. Everyone gasped.

The camera turned around onto a teenage girl who was recording the whole thing. “Okay, hi, Ladyblogger!” She took a breath. “I’m trying really hard not to fangirl, and I hope you see this video because a lot of stuff just happened and I haven’t seen you out and about. I think you might’ve gotten caught by the akuma… anyway, I wanted to let you know everything that just happened, just in case you don’t know.

“So, basically there’s this akuma named Soulmater, and she keeps zapping people which brings them and their soulmate together. Somehow, she’s also convincing them to start… uh, kissing and stuff, which is weird. I got zapped, but it didn’t affect me because I’m aro/ace. Anyway, she got everyone in Paris pretty quick, except other people who don’t have a soulmate for whatever reason. Ladybug and Chat Noir never showed up that I saw. I think they might’ve gotten caught. Hawkmoth must’ve recalled the akuma because he wasn’t making any progress because they weren’t there.

“I hope you’re okay! I-” She got cut off by a flash of pink ladybugs sweeping through the air. “Look, there’s Ladybug fixing everything! Anyway, I love the Ladyblog. Keep up the hard work! Bye!” She turned the camera off. 

Everyone sat in stunned silence until the door burst open again, revealing a slightly disheveled Ms. Bustier. “Are you all in here?” She quickly did a headcount. “Good. I’m glad we didn’t lose anyone. Did you all stay safe?” Everyone shrugged. 

“None of us remember what happened,” Ivan said.

“Oh.” Ms. Bustier got lost in thought for a moment, but soon caught herself and smiled at the students. “Alright, well, we’re getting back on the bus. The rest of the field trip is canceled.”

A few people groaned, but everyone stumbled up the stairs to go stand on deck until they got back to the dock.

* * *

There was no sign of Ladybug on deck, which made Adrien less uneasy. He would have to confront her about what happened, but he didn’t know how yet. In the meantime, he decided to talk to Marinette, his other blue-haired friend.

“Hey, Marinette. Do you have a minute?” Adrien asked.

She looked a bit surprised but nodded. “Sure, what did you need?”

“Well, I just wanted to make sure you were still okay after earlier.”

She paused before replying. “About that- Adrien, I don’t know how to thank you. Usually when that happens, my mom or dad or Tik- uh, they help me calm down. I’m so glad you were there. You did exactly what I needed.”

Adrien smiled. “Yeah, I know how scary it is to get an anxiety attack so I knew I had to help. I’m just so glad you’re okay, princess.” 

Marinette smiled back. “Yeah, thanks-” Her brain rebooted. “Wait, what-”

“Marinette!” Alya called. “Come look at this report of the attack.” She pulled her away before she could process anything else. 

Adrien mentally panicked, wondering why he let that term of endearment slip. He was being way too careless today…

He managed to daydream without any interruptions until they boarded the bus.

* * *

Honestly, there was too much on Marinette’s mind. She felt as if she was going to spontaneously combust any second, and she was extremely overwhelmed. Her mind kept jumping from one thing to another without leaving any time to process anything. Alya was talking to her, which Marinette didn’t mind, but she simply couldn’t focus. 

They finally were getting back onto the bus when Alya realized the true extent of her lack of involvement in the conversation. “Girl, what’s going on with you today?”

Marinette shrugged. “I have no idea. I can’t focus on much of anything.” 

Alya was about to continue talking when she heard Alix shush some people. “Alright, folks. Listen up, because I have something really important to say and I don’t want to repeat myself.” Those words got everyone to simmer down fairly quick. Alix took a breath as if to steady herself. “I… I was awake during the akuma attack.”

Everyone was shocked at first, then began to ask questions. Surprisingly, Max was the one who quieted everyone. “I was awake too.”

Everyone began talking all at once again until Alya started talking. “Wait, so both of you were awake?” They nodded. “Then, what did you see? Or should I say, _who_ did you see?” Everyone turned to the pair, their eyes wide with anticipation. When neither of them answered right away, Alya quickly cut in again. “I mean, _come on._ Some of them found their soulmate in that room but they won’t ever remember it. You have to tell them!”

Alix and Max exchanged a glance. Max shook his head, saying, “There’s a 98.7% chance that-”

“Oh, screw this.” Alix huffed. “Alya, you already knew about Nino. So I guess it’s only fair to tell everyone else- that, and I’m terrible at keeping secrets.” She pointed at Rose. “You and Juleka.” Then Ivan. “You and Mylene.” Then, she pointed at Chloe and paused. “You already know.”

Chloe flipped her hair. “Oh, please. What is that nonsense supposed to mean?”

Alix raised her eyebrow. “You really wanna know?” Chloe nodded, and Alix said, “You and Sabrina.” 

There were mixed reactions from the rest of the class. Alya looked shocked and Rose squealed, “I knew it!”

Kim interrupted. “Alix, what about me?”

Alix shrugged. “I dunno. You and Nathaniel were trying to escape like bats out of hell. Your soulmates must’ve been somewhere else.”

Everyone sat back, content with this new knowledge. Adrien cleared his throat. “Uh, you didn’t happen to see the above deck at all?”

Alix and Max shook their heads. Max responded, “Negative. We didn’t want to risk more light getting in, so we couldn’t uncover the windows.”

“Jeez, now I really wonder what happened,” Marinette said, an odd look plastered on her face.

* * *

Adrien, too, wondered what had happened to Marinette. He knew Ladybug had been up there, but she was probably swinging towards the battle when she got struck by the purple light and stuck to Adrien. But what had happened to Marinette?

Adrien took a minute to process that. 

Ladybug was his soulmate… _Ladybug_ was _his_ soulmate.

Anyway, the rest of the school day was uneventful and passed by in a blur. He was too excited for patrol that night to focus on anything else. 

When Chat Noir arrived at their usual meeting spot, a grin was stuck on his face. When Ladybug finally showed up, that grin grew wider, if possible.

“What’s new with you, kitty?” She bopped his nose. “You make a good Cheshire cat.”

He just stared at her at a loss for words for a moment. “I, uh-” he cleared his throat- “well, I wanted to talk about the akuma attack today.”

Ladybug’s slight smile disappeared. “Oh, yeah. That happened. I guess I forgot.” She turned away from Chat. “Sorry, I had a bit of a catastrophe before the attack, so I was really busy during it.”

Chat tried to mask his surprise. “So, do you remember what happened?”

“Well, I passed out during the attack, but I’m not sure if it was because of the akuma. I don’t remember anything until I woke up and knew I had to fix everything. My kwami doesn’t remember either.”

Chat closed his eyes. “Are you sure that’s the truth?”

Ladybug was shocked. “Yes, Chat. Of course it is. Why would I lie to you?”

“Because I was aware during the attack.” Chat said, opening his eyes. 

Ladybug’s own eyes widened. “Crap, Chat. I didn’t know you were aro. Or was it ace? Sorry, I’m so bad with these things… but I support you no matter what-”

“What? No.” Chat interrupted. “No, no, no. I’m not aro or ace. I was actually, uh, with someone while the attack happened. I got zapped because I was helping someone else and didn’t think to protect myself. What I mean is, I remember _who_ it was I was, uh, kissing. I thought it had something to do with the Miraculous’ protection or something.”

“Oh.” Ladybug said. “Well, I’m still telling the truth. I have no idea what happened during that whole attack and I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help.”

“I trust you, bug. I just don’t know why I was immune. And besides, I wasn’t any help either…” Chat smiled crookedly. “I guess I got carried away.”

She smiled softly. “Well, on the bright side, at least you found your soulmate!”

He grinned too. “Yeah, if only she could remember me…”

Ladybug chose to start patrol then, and off they went.

* * *

The next day, Marinette ran across the street, narrowly avoiding a car. After they honked at her, she waved at them with an apologetic expression on her face. She was going to be late for school… _again._

She was just racing up the stairs when the bell rang. She sighed. “It’s just going to be one of those days, huh?”

Tikki popped out. “It couldn’t be as bad as yesterday.”

Marinette smiled. “Yeah, I guess so.” 

Tikki flew back into her purse as Marinette walked into the classroom. Ms. Bustier called her name as she walked in, and then Alya tugged at her arm. “Marinette, you have to see this! It’s-”

“Girls,” Ms. Bustier scolded, “What have I told you about disrupting class, especially when you’re late?”

“Sorry, Ms. Bustier,” the girls chorused. 

They sat through class without another interruption. By the time the bell rang, Alya was buzzing with an unknown excitement. 

“Marinette, look!” Alya shoved her phone into Marinette’s face. 

Marinette blinked and held the phone. The first thing she saw was a big picture of Ladybug, Chat Noir, and _Adrien_ , which certainly had her attention. She barely got through the title before freaking out. 

_Superheroine Ladybug and model Adrien Agreste were seen making out._

Marinette frantically scrolled, only gathering pieces of what this article was about. 

_What does this mean for Chat Noir?... Celeb hook-up… one of the most startling hook-ups from yesterday’s akuma..._

Marinette couldn’t believe her eyes. Alya finally snatched her phone back. “I know, right?” Alya handed the phone to Adrien. “Have you seen this article yet?”

Marinette stumbled out of her seat and hurriedly grabbed her things. “I, uh- I have to- I, I- the bathroom. Bathroom.”

Alya gave her a quizzical look then returned her attention to Adrien. Marinette ran out of the room and into the bathroom. Luckily, it was empty which enabled Tikki to pop out and talk to her. “Marinette, what’s wrong?” 

Marinette simply pulled out her phone and did a quick search. Sure enough, several articles popped up, all confirming what had happened. Tikki peered over her shoulder and gasped after she got the gist of what was happening. Unfortunately, Chloe sashayed into the bathroom, which caused Tikki to fly back into her purse. Marinette dropped her phone, which slid over to where Chloé was standing. 

“So, I guess you found out?” Chloe smirked. “I guess neither of us get Adrien.”

Marinette bent over to pick up her phone. “Chloe, you have Sabrina. She’s officially your soulmate. You should be thankful.”

Chloe blanched. “Shut up, Dupain-cheng. I don’t need you to tease me about it.”

Marinette blinked. “Shockingly, I’m not trying to tease you about it. I’m happy you found your soulmate. I don’t care who you like.”

Chloe looked wary. “Really?”

“Of course.” 

“Maybe you’re not so bad after all,” Chloé scoffed, “but don’t tell anyone I said that.”

“Okay.” Marinette smiled. 

“So did you ever find your soulmate or whatever?”

Marinette froze. “Yeah, in a way.”

“Who is it?” Chloé questioned. 

“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me…” 

* * *

When Adrien got home from school that night, he was extremely worried about how his father would react to the articles. He envisioned multiple scenarios- the best would be that his father would dismiss it and be thankful for the publicity; the worst would be that he would be kicked out of school. 

One thing he did not expect was Nathalie telling him to dress nicely for dinner because his father would be eating with him. 

That’s when he knew he had messed up. 

He quickly got freshened up and changed, then went down to dinner. It was almost funny seeing his father on one side of the ridiculously long table while he sat on the opposite end. 

“Adrien,” his father said as a form of greeting. 

“Father,” he responded.

“I am going to be blunt with you because I’m pretty sure you know why I’m here.” Gabriel paused, probably for dramatic effect. It worked. “I saw those articles that were published today about you and Ladybug, especially the one that your friend Alya Cesaire posted on the Ladyblog.” Adrien mentally cursed Alya. “I hope you know that this is _unacceptable_. Your fans are upset, the paparazzi is upset, _I_ am upset. I hope you know that your choices have cost you some consequences.”

Adrien gathered all of his courage. “But, father, it was an akuma! Neither Ladybug nor I remember anything. And I certainly wouldn’t do anything inappropriate in public. I know how professional I have to act and I work very hard to uphold that. I’m certain that Ladybug feels the same way.”

His father seemed stunned at his argument. Then: “Adrien, I demand that you-”

He expected that his father would kick him out of school, move him to some remote island, and cut off all communication with his friends. 

“-tell me all about your relationship with Ladybug.”

It was Adrien’s turn to be stunned. “What?” He wondered if he had heard his father right. “What do you mean? I’m not dating Ladybug. I don’t even _know_ Ladybug. Nobody knows her except maybe Chat Noir- and I _certainly_ don’t know him.”

His father began poking at his food. “Well, what do you know about her? You’re soulmates, which means you might know her.”

“I have no idea who she was. And I’m sure she wouldn’t waste her time telling me. Her secret identity is her most guarded secret.” Adrien backpedaled. “I mean, I suppose it would be if you were a superhero or Hawkmoth…”

Gabriel managed to hide the glint of fear in his eyes, but not before Adrien glimpsed it. “Well, then.” Gabriel got up from the table, folding his napkin neatly and setting it next to his half-empty plate. “You must let me know as soon as you get more information on Ladybug. Get to know her. Hang out with her. You two are soulmates, after all.”

Adrien nodded politely. “Yes, father.”

Gabriel left the room without another word.

* * *

At patrol that night, Ladybug noticed that Chat seemed particularly on edge, so she decided to shorten it. “What’s up, kitty? Your mind has been off somewhere else these past two days.”

Chat Noir let out a breath. “I don’t think I could tell you without revealing my identity.”

Ladybug swallowed. “Well, try your best not to give me any details, and I’ll try my best not to let my imagination take control.”

“Okay.” Chat Noir swallowed. “Do you ever feel like you always mess up and the world just seems to be against you?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’ve been having a lot of those moments lately. First of all, I keep having identity crises and acting more like myself- well, Chat Noir- around my friends.”

Ladybug frowned. “What do you mean? Is your personality that much of a difference?”

“Well, yeah. At home and school and in public, I have to be polite and perfect and proper. Here, I can express myself and talk freely without the fear of paparazzi judging me.”

“Wait, are you famous?”

Chat’s eyes widened. “Remember what you said about your imagination?”

“Right. I’ll stop. You can continue.”

“Normally, I would be fine with this, but I can tell that one of my friends is struggling lately with stress. She has so much on her plate, and I wish I could help her. The thing is, every time I try to comfort her, I end up flirting or making stupid puns, which makes the whole thing worse.”

Ladybug reclined on the rooftop, looking at the stars. “I think I understand you. Keep going.”

Chat laid down next to her. “On top of all that, I was really looking forward to an event with my friends the other day, but it got ruined by that stupid akuma. Which, by the way, I don’t know why I was aware, and I honestly wish I wasn’t. Then, when I got home from school, my… _dad_ questioned me nonstop about a rumor he heard. He was acting super weird and tried getting some personal information about someone I care about. He’s been really distant lately, more so than usual, and I was looking forward to having dinner with him tonight. He must be working on a new project or something because I swear he lives in an evil lair like a vampire all day-” Chat sat up. “Hold on.”

Ladybug sat up, concerned. “Chat, what-”

“Stop. Don’t say anything.” Chat put his head in his hands. “I need to think about something before I lose my train of thought.”

Ladybug simply sat there, unsure of what to do or how to help. 

Finally, Chat banged his clenched hands against the roof, making a loud noise. “ _Shit.”_

Ladybug had never heard Chat swear before, or lose his cool like this. “Chat-”

“I know who Hawkmoth is.”

* * *

“What?” Ladybug gasped. “How? Who? _What_?”

“I can’t tell you.” Chat ran his fingers through his hair. “You would know who I am.”

“Screw our identities. We could end this, once and for all.” Ladybug grabbed his hands. “I trust you, Chat.”

“I… I’m not sure, either. I could be wrong.” Chat pondered that. “No, it all adds up. If I’m wrong, then...”

“Chat, you have to tell me.” 

“I will,” Chat said, “but I have to explain myself first.”

“What do you mean?”

Chat sighed. “Just listen for a second. Tonight, my… _dad_ assumed I was doing scandalous things in public… with _you._ I have to assure you that I’m not a bad person, and I would _never_ take advantage of you like that. As much as I flirt with you, I really care about you and you mean the world to me.”

“Chat...?”

“You probably have seen it on the news. Everyone was talking about it and I’m pretty sure it was trending on twitter. Anyway, I know I told you I was aware, but I couldn’t pull away. Something was stopping me… I wanted to stop, believe me. I never wanted to hurt you like this.”

“...Adrien?” Ladybug gasped.

“Yeah.” He held out his hand with a small, sad smile. “My name is Adrien Agreste. Nice to meet you.”

She blanched. “No. No way.”

“I know, I’m famous and all. I promise I’m not that bad though.” 

“It’s not that though. I… I’m-”

“Stop.” He held a finger to her lips. “Don’t tell me anymore. If this goes bad, I don’t want to know your identity.”

That seemed to wake her up. “If _what_ goes bad?”

“My father is Hawkmoth.” He said, the words finally leaving his mouth. “He’s cold, distant, and antisocial. He rarely leaves the house. He broods. He has the anime supervillain glasses. He tried to protect me on some occasions, which makes sense. It’s why I was immune during the last attack… He must’ve told the akuma to protect me.” He sighed. “And Nathalie- god, _Nathalie_ \- she’s Mayura, no doubt. He wouldn’t trust anyone else except Gorilla, and I wanna say that Gorilla isn’t the evil supervillain type. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. Our house is big enough to have two, maybe three, evil lairs. I don't doubt that _that’s_ where he keeps his crap ton of butterflies. I’m oblivious. I should’ve started asking questions when the Amazon packages started flooding in. They all said, ‘live animals- fragile.’ Crap. Crap. _Crap._ ” He slapped his face. “ _That’s_ why he wanted information on you- to hunt you down and figure out who you are.”

Ladybug stares at him. “This… this is a lot to process.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Ladybug asked, hoping he had one. Her mind sure wasn’t in the correct place to compose a plan.

“I know how to get past all the security. We could… steal his brooch while he’s sleeping. He probably sleeps with it on, but with both of us against him, we have it in the bag. He’s defenseless and he won’t even know it’s coming. We have the upper hand here.”

Ladybug took a deep breath. “Well, do you have any other plans tonight?”  
  


Chat looked at her. “No. Why?”

“Because I believe we have a supervillain to defeat tonight.”

* * *

At roughly 10:43 pm, Ladybug and Chat Noir peered into Gabriel Agreste’s bedroom window. All of the home’s defense systems had been disengaged, leaving them a clear path to Hawkmoth.

“Are you okay with this?” Ladybug asked Chat.

“I don’t know.” He sighed. “A part of me wants to keep my father and see the best in him, and another part of me realizes how cruel he’s been all these years.” His eyes became determined, unwavering. “Let’s do this. Now.”

He shoved the window open, breaking the lock. They crawled inside silently, observing his sleeping form. Ladybug signaled to Chat and pointed at Gabriel’s pajama shirt. Sure enough, the brooch was neatly pinned to it. Ladybug took out her yo-yo and quickly tied Gabriel up, while Chat grabbed the brooch and stuffed a cloth into Gabriel’s mouth so that he couldn’t scream.

Gabriel’s eyes shot open, confused. They landed on Ladybug and Chat Noir. Suddenly, his expression became cold. He didn’t try to scream. Chat hesitantly removed the cloth from his mouth while Ladybug tucked the brooch into a secret pocket that Chat didn’t know she had. 

“I knew you two would find me sooner or later. I guess that’s game over for me,” Gabriel said.

“Not quite,” Ladybug said, pulling him out of the room. Chat followed. Because of Chat’s instructions, Ladybug effortlessly found Nathalie’s room and threw open the door. 

“Nathalie!” Gabriel yelled, trying to warm her. “Watch oomph-”

Chat shoved the cloth back into his mouth as Nathalie shot to her feet, half asleep but somehow alert. Chat quickly shot his baton at her temple, knocking her out. He bent over to check if she had her miraculous on her but didn’t find anything.

“Well, I gotta say: that was super anticlimactic.” Chat joked, while quickly getting the pair of handcuffs from his belt and attaching Nathalie’s hand to the bed. He turned to Hawkmoth, his voice deadly calm. “Now take us to your lair.”

* * *

Ladybug stood in front of a large painting which Hawkmoth claimed was an elevator. Chat, as if remembering something, pulled the painting back to reveal a safe. “Cataclysm,” he muttered and pressed his hand to the safe door. Inside was the book of the miraculous and the peacock brooch, along with some other unnecessary things. Ladybug put away the other miraculous in her pocket and Chat tucked the book into his belt.

“How did you know about that?” Gabriel growled. 

“Ah, we’re the one asking questions.” Chat smirked. “Now, about that elevator?”

“Aren’t you concerned about transforming back?”

“No, because maybe it will knock some sense into you.” Chat paused. “The elevator?”

He grumbled and pressed his fingers into the painting, unlocking a platform beneath their feet. Ladybug and Chat stepped on, pulling Gabriel with them. He said, “Up or down?”  
  


“What’s the difference?” Chat asked. 

“Up leads to my secret lair. The one with the butterflies. Down leads to my _other_ secret lair.”

“Let’s start with down because that one sounds much more exciting,” Chat answered.

The elevator started dropping, which caused Ladybug to jump. She grabbed onto the railing, her hand landing on top of Chat’s. Finally, it came to a stop and they exchanged a look before dragging Gabriel off. 

“Okay, what’s the big secret? This place is creepy and dark, but that’s nothing I wouldn’t expect from you.” Ladybug said. 

Gabriel tried to shuffle forward, but couldn’t move very quickly because of the yo-yo. “You’ll see.”

They walked down an outrageously long path of flowers. Ladybug was wondering why Hawkmoth was being this submissive and telling them everything they wanted. He had to have something up his sleeve, which left Ladybug on edge. 

Finally, Chat’s miraculous beeped with two minutes left, and Ladybug was getting impatient. “How big is this stupid underground garden?”

“Hold on. I swear, we’re almost there,” Gabriel said. Sure enough, they turned a corner and a box sat in front of them. It was glass, but neither of the superheroes could see what was inside yet.

They continued walking towards it, and finally Chat fell to his knees. “What?”

Ladybug rushed to his side. “Chat? What’s wrong?”

“Look.” He gestured to the box, seeming to fight back tears. 

Ladybug gasped. She had seen enough pictures of Adrien’s mom to recognize her on sight. “You didn’t.” She turned to Gabriel. “You monster!”

Gabriel shrank back. “I-”

Chat got to his feet, tears streaming down his face. “Explain this. Now.”

Gabriel, for the first time, looked scared. “That’s my wife. She’s in a coma-like state. I need your miraculous to bring her back.”

Ladybug shook her head. “You know that the wish from our miraculous doesn’t come without a price, right?”

“Yes, I know, but I was willing-”

“Did you know,” Chat growled, “Did you _ever_ consider that you would lose me by getting her back?”

Gabriel, if possible, shrank back even more. His voice became very small. “What?”

Chat detransformed, leaving a furious Adrien and an equally mad kwami in his wake. “I said, did you think about the _consequences_ that would have resulted from that wish?” Adrien took a step towards his father. “You could’ve killed me. All for what? To get your wife back? To fix your broken family?” He laughed, and it sounded broken. “Look around. You had me, and Nathalie, and Gorilla. _We_ were your family. You were going to risk losing one of us just for some false hope that you could get your wife back?

“I don’t even know who you are anymore, but you certainly aren’t my father any longer.”

“I thought- Adrien, please, I thought that- I thought…”

“Save it for someone who wants to listen to you.” Adrien turned away, Ladybug reaching for him. “I’m done with you.”

Ladybug turned back to Gabriel, hurt flashing in her eyes. “If you tell anyone in that stupid prison about Adrien being Chat Noir, I will personally _hunt you down._ ”

“What? I-” Gabriel sputtered.

“The police are on their way. They know you’re Hawkmoth, and that Nathalie Sancoeur is Mayura. Both of you are going to prison for life.” She turned away, unraveling her yo-yo from around him. “I hope you’re happy.”

She directed her attention back to Adrien. “You have to transform,” Ladybug whispered. “The police are already here and they’ll be down here any second. They can’t know who you are.”

Adrien was shaking with shock. “I… I can’t. Plagg-”

“I’m right here, kid,” Plagg mumbled, sounding unusually sympathetic. “It’s okay, you can transform.”

“Fine.” Adrien shakily got to his feet. “Let’s get out of here.”

* * *

_A few weeks later…_

“You know, when I said I felt like my life was falling apart, I never expected this.” Chat laughed while leaning on Ladybug. 

“Hey, you got through it. And I was right here with you the whole time.” Ladybug smiled. “You have some awesome friends.”

“Yeah, I’m really thankful for them. Nino is letting me stay at his house for now, and Marinette and Alya have been super supportive.” He sighed. “I just still can’t believe that my father is Hawkmoth- and that he’s in jail.”

“I know, kitty.” They were on top of a roof, watching the sunset. Ladybug laced her fingers through his. “I know this probably isn’t the best time, but I’ve known your identity for a while now, and I just wanted to let you know that you can talk to me as a civilian, too. So, if you wanted to know who I am, I could tell you.”

Chat turned to her. “Really?”

“I mean, I don’t see why not! Hawkmoth is gone, Paris is fairly peaceful. You should know who I am. It’s only fair.”

“Only if you’re sure, bug.”

She smiled and closed her eyes. “Tikki, spots off.”

For a second, he didn’t say anything, he just stared in awe. “No way.”

She looked at him. “You’re not disappointed?”

“Of course not.” He smiled. “You’re the girl of my dreams.”

She blushed. “Now, you’re just saying that to be nice, kitty…”

“You know, it’s only fair- only you remember our first kiss, and only I remember our last one.” Chat smirked.

Marinette somehow found the courage to say, “Wanna have one that we both remember?”

Neither of them minded when the magazines the next day all said the same thing…

_Superhero Chat Noir and designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng were seen making out...What does this mean for Ladybug?... Celeb hook-up… one of the most startling hook-ups since the defeat of Hawkmoth..._

* * *

_A year later…_

“I mean, I’m still in disbelief that you two are actually together,” Alya said with a smile, sipping her tea gingerly. “I mean, Adrien, wasn’t Ladybug your soulmate? I mean, no offense Marinette, but if Ladybug turned out to be _my_ soulmate, I’d be with her in a heartbeat.”

“ _Hey_!” Nino yelled, playfully hitting Alya’s arm.

Adrien blushed. “It just didn’t work out… She didn’t want me to know her secret identity and I was tired of all the secrets, so I broke things off.”

“Uh-huh.” Alya nodded along. “Alrighty, then. Marinette, what about Chat Noir? You two sure were getting steamy up on that roof…”

Marinette stammered, “too clingy” before turning bright red and taking a big bite of her sandwich.

“You guys are ridiculous.” Alya laughed.

“Hey, babe,” Nino said. “Have you seen this article yet?”

“Let me see.” Alya took a look and her eyes widened. “No way! Ladybug _and_ Chat Noir’s identities revealed?”  
  


Marinette began to choke on her sandwich while Adrien spat out his coffee. Adrien wiped his mouth and grabbed the phone out of Alya’s hand. He and Marinette skimmed the reading. They both were relieved when they realized that the article was fake, and that the two people listed as the superheroes were people they didn’t even know. Adrien handed back Alya’s phone with a slightly apologetic smile.

Alya returned to the article. “Huh, I don’t even know these people. I’ll have to see if I can contact them for an interview.” She looked up at Marinette and Adrien’s equally relieved faces. “I swear you two are hiding something.” They blanched. “Chill out, it’s not like you guys are Ladybug and Chat-”

Nino swore softly.

Alya screeched, “HOLY S-”

**Author's Note:**

> My mom walked into the room so many times and asked what I was doing while I was typing this. I told her I had three giant essays to work on(which is true; I still haven't finished the last one).
> 
> I hope you liked it! Please leave kudos and comments. I might post more fanfics if I get more feedback.
> 
> Thank you for reading to the end:) it seriously means a lot to me.


End file.
